Fall is here. The aspens have yellowed and the landscape has browned. Hank called just now to say hail then snow is falling in Taos Ski Valley. We will likely get a few warm spells still. But there’s no going back.

So, it is time for a few seasonal rituals. Yesterday, I harvested what was left in the vegetable garden and began the long but enjoyable process of cleaning and replenishing its soil. I did the same for the flower beds.

I was pleased to find several pounds of carrots, the rainbow variety and a few onions I overlooked. Alas, no kale this

year after the bugs took over. But I have greens and lettuce growing still in a cloth-covered bed.

I also planted next year’s garlic — the bulbs 4-by-4-inches apart and 4 inches beneath the surface.

So how did my garden grow? Nicely, thank you. I didn’t buy vegetables all summer. The tomatoes could have done better so I need to figure that out, plus those bugs that consumed the kale. But I have half a year to think about it.

I have weekends of work ahead. More gardening, and then we will be getting a cord of wood delivered. That will have to be stacked close to the back door.

Yesterday, I also put away my warm-weather clothes and took out my cold-weather.

What other changes? We’ll be eating winter squash and soups. I’ll pay more attention to weather reports in case of snow. And, I plan to wear a hat.